Defence accuses prosecutor of misleading court
–as clients plead ‘not guilty’ as charged

TWO former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) employees on Thursday pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of fraud.

Said charges have to do with failing to make proper entry into the company’s register, and the misappropriation of over $8.5M from the entity.
Former General Manager, Mr Jagnarine Singh and his deputy, Mr Madanlall Ramraj are jointly charged with the offence and denied all of the charges when they were read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The pair was earlier charged jointly with former accountant, Mr Peter Ramcharran who is currently in Canada.
However, Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Prosecutor, Mr Patrice Henry has requested that the matters be withdrawn and Singh and Ramraj be charged together instead.
The charges allege that Singh and Ramraj, with intent to defraud, omitted or concurred to be omitted $8.5M from the general ledger of the GRDB’s Cowan Street office during the years 2011 and 2012.

An additional 17 counts of fraudulent misappropriation were read to the two men, stating that between 2011 and 2012, they fraudulently took or apply of the same monies for their own use or benefit.
After almost two hours of the charges being read, the Administration of Justice Act was applied, and the pair pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts.

Their attorney, Mr Glen Hanoman stressed that his clients, along with other former members of GRDB, were charged for similar offences before Magistrate Leron Daly.
Those charges, Hanoman noted, consist of the same particulars of the 34 charges being brought before the Chief Magistrate.
The attorney also bought to the court’s attention that Prosecutor Henry was only that morning granted a fiat to prosecute a matter for which he had been appearing since last month.

“The prosecutor is misleading the court,” Hanoman said, “as he had earlier stated that he was granted a fiat to prosecute the matter…
“However, he is now producing a document dated November 16, 2017 purporting to show that he has the right to prosecute the case.”

Hanoman further pointed out that the fiat at reference, which was issued by the Director of Pubic Prosecution, Ms. Shalimar Ali-Hack, specifically states that permission was being granted to five prominent attorneys, namely, Patrice Henry, Lawrence Harris, Michael Somersall, Trenton Lake and Hewley Griffith to act in the capacity of Fiat Prosecutor in the case.

Hanoman noted that while the letter particularly stipulates that the prosecutors at reference have to appear in the matter at no cost to the State, yet still the State has paid them $100M.

What is even more puzzling, he said, is that the letter has been copied to the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr Basil Williams and as such is calling upon the prosecution to come forward and clear the air.
The Chief Magistrate has adjourned the matter to today so that Henry can respond to the accusations.